TRAVEL TIPS
My Somewhat Different Top 5 Travel Destinations
I get it, Bali is a super fun place to go
I cringe every time I see the same boring articles about the best travel destinations. Most people don’t realise that there is more to travelling than to visit big cities or overrun tourist destinations your friends post about on Instagram.
I get it, Bali is a super fun place to go.
Personally, I have always loved to go off the beaten track and find new and exciting ways to travel. In fact, so much that my twin brother and I decided to buy a van and convert it into a camper. But that’s an entirely different story.
In this article, I will share My Somewhat Different Top 5 Travel Destinations you will likely not have heard about.
Stay curious and keep exploring!
1. Great Barrier Island, New Zealand
A few years back, I was fortunate enough to travel to New Zealand. I was 18 at the time, had recently finished High-School, and like many others, no idea what to do with my life.
Since I was a broke teenager with little savings, I had to think about making money. Since nobody wanted to hire me, I signed up to a website (WWOOF) that matches willing workers with local families (usually owning farms or organic gardens). The idea is that you get to live with a local family that provides food and accommodation in exchange for a couple of hours of work.
To me, that sounded fair.
A few weeks after my arrival in New Zealand, my backpack and I ended up taking a ferry to Great Barrier Island to stay and work with a local family on their organic farm. Off the radar of most travellers, the island is located 85 km from Auckland outside of the Hauraki Gulf.
If you ever want to experience what New Zealand was like before it was inhabited by the Europeans, leave the usual tourist path and visit Great Barrier Island. You’ll not regret it, trust me. It’s beautiful — Nature in its purest and most elegant form.
2. Rockneby, Sweden
My history with Sweden dates back to my childhood. While other kids went to Spain or France with their families, I got to spent my summer holidays on a tiny sailboat exploring the Baltic Sea.
Now, I could have listed many beautiful places in Denmark and on the coast of Sweden. And probably would have, If I had not gone to Rockneby last summer. Rockne-what?
Don’t worry, nobody knows about this little village.
Just imagine staying in a small hut in the middle of the Swedish forest surrounded by natural parks and literally thousands of stunning lakes (with a lot of fish!) How does that sound to you?
Growing up on a sailboat, I have never made it further than 5 miles from the coast. Last summer was the first time I actually experienced real Sweden. It is as iconic and beautiful as you would imagine.
If you don’t like people or just want to be alone, travel to Sweden, and you’ll have several lakes literally to yourself.
3. El Gigante, Nicaragua
Two years ago, I solo-travelled through Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua). If you’re like me, and love surfing, volcanoes and want to learn Spanish, it’s the place to go.
Now, surfing and volcanoes were incredible. However, I struggled with learning Spanish, it was everything but going well. I could hardly communicate with the locals (they speak insanely fast).
In desperation, I decided to do a language course that brought me to a place I would not have gone to otherwise: El Gigante. It’s a small fishing village located on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. My classes were held directly next to the beach (see photo). In the one on one sessions, I learned more than I had in the previous four weeks of my trip.
Bonus: I got to stay in the hostel of Nicaraguan Big-Wave Surfer Oliver and learn about Nicaraguan surf culture.
Look at that view!
4. Acatenango, Guatemala
At first, I wanted to include only one destination from each trip I made. I quickly realised that this was complete nonsense. There was no way I’m leaving out the volcano Acatenango in Guatemala.
Now, you might think that the summit of a volcano doesn’t qualify as a destination. And, you’re probably right. But I’m making the rules here.
If you’ve travelled to Central America, chances are, you have heard about the stratovolcano Acatenango which is located close to the city Antigua. From there it’s an hour drive to reach the base of the volcano.
The hike was strenuous but extremely worthwhile. Once you reach the top (after a day of hiking uphill), you set up your tent and literally get to camp over the clouds at 3.000m.
I’ll have to leave a disclaimer at this point:
If you are scared of volcanoes, I strongly recommend against this hike. The reason is simple. The volcano (El Fuego) close to Acatenango is active, and by active I mean that it erupts every half an hour or so. At night, the big bangs are followed by lava spitting out of the crater. It will scare the shit out of you.
If you don’t believe me, go on Instagram and search for #Acatenango.
5. La Laguna, Canary Islands
Since I had refreshed my Spanish on my trip to Central America, I foolishly decided to study a year abroad in the Canary Islands at the Universidad de La Laguna. I was once again attracted by volcanoes and surfing.
When I arrived, I found out that my Spanish wasn’t that good after all, oh well. At least I was forced to improve since all my classes were taught in Spanish.
La Laguna makes it to my Top 5 as a symbolic destination for the entire Canary Islands. If you’re looking for good weather, it’s the place to go. Be aware to avoid tourist areas, or you’ll not experience the real canary life.
I recommend checking out the north of Tenerife. The lovely fishing villages and the famous Anaga mountains are exceptional.
Close to my apartment in Finca España that I shared with a few locals, there’s a place from where you can overlook Santa Cruz de Tenerife and even see Gran Canaria on the horizon (see photo).
My Somewhat Different Top 5 Travel Destinations (in random order) are:
- Great Barrier Island, New Zealand
- Rockneby, Sweden
- El Gigante, Nicaragua
- Acatenango, Guatemala,
- La Laguna, Canary Islands
On a final note, I encourage you to consider somewhat different destinations for your next travels. In other words, look past what’s popular on Instagram and find places that are truly meaningful to you, and they will be with you forever.
Thank you for reading,
Timmy
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